For the first time in the previous five years, a forward will undoubtedly win the Betfred Super League Young Player of the Year award in 2024.
The three nominees for the prize are Junior Nsemba of Wigan Warriors, Matty Nicholson of Warrington Wolves, and George Delaney of St Helens. The prize will be given out at Rugby League’s Awards Night at the Royal Armouries in Leeds on Tuesday, October 8.
The last forward to win the award, which is chosen by the England RL Performance Unit and is only open to players who were under 21 at the beginning of the Super League season in February, was Matty Lees, Delaney’s packmate at Saints.
The wing of Warrington Wolves Josh Thewlis won in 2023, followed by Leeds Rhinos center Harry Newman in 2020 and Jack Welsby of St Helens in 2022 and 2021. Since the current Warrington coach Sam Burgess won in 2007, the only other forwards to win the accolade are Daryl Clark (2014) and Joe Westerman (2008).
The second-rower for the Wolves, Nicholson, 21, who grew up in Halifax at the Siddal community club, was also a finalist for the prize the previous year. He inked a contract to play with the Canberra Raiders in 2025 and has already made two senior England appearances, both against France.
A product of the Halton Farnworth Hornets community club in Widnes, Delaney, who is still only 20 years old, was named to the England mid-season international squad that faced France in Toulouse. However, he was not used as an 18th player substitution.
The 20-year-old Nsemba, who plays for the Wigan St Jude’s community club, faced up against Nicholson in the Betfred Challenge Cup Final at Wembley earlier this season. Prior to the two-match series against Samoa this autumn, Nsemba was included for the first time in Shaun Wane’s England squad.
The Super League’s 2024 Man of Steel nominees will be revealed on Wednesday, October 2, also at 330 p.m., along with the nominees for the Betfred Super League Coach of the Year, which will be unveiled tomorrow, Tuesday,
Read more at: https://sportupdates.co.uk
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